Tualatin Valley Junior Academy
Kindergarten Program


MISSION

The Seventh-day Adventist school Kindergarten program strives to help our young students become acquainted with God though a combined study of nature and the Scriptures.



ENVIRONMENT

Great care is taken to provide a stimulating environment that feels safe and secure both physically and emotionally for each young student to observe, explore, think, experiment, communicate, manipulate, model, and create in.

The Kindergarten room has high ceilings and plenty of natural light from large windows on one side of the room.  There are areas for large-group activities at the community/learning circle and areas for small group or individual activities at work tables.  A loft with a couch and bean bags, stuffed animals, and books provides a cozy place to enjoy reading activities.  Manipulatives, games, blocks, legos, puzzles, paints, art and writing supplies are kept within easy reach to encourage independence.

Dramatic play areas through out the year include a kitchen with pots and pans; a carpenter shop with workbench, tools, nails, screws, hammers, and drills; a grocery store with cash registers, coins, and shopping lists and merchandise; a medical office with medical equipment and office supplies area.

There are science and sensory stations that change during the year.  These areas provide places to watch insects, growing plants, and places to experiment with playdoh, water, ice, and much more.

Students enjoy fresh air and sunshine on T.V.J.A.’s beautiful spacious playground which is surrounded by trees.

PROGRAM

The Kindergarten program is structured to include a variety of teaching strategies that will embrace children’s diversities. 

The daily schedule provides time for whole group and small group instruction along with independent practice.  These instruction and practice times involve active learning, hand’s on experiences, and the use of concrete materials in bible, music, art, physical education, science, social studies, math, and word study.

The program strives to provide a balance of instructional time, active independent exploration, and quiet time. 

Field trips to and/or speakers from forestry centers, farms, health and safety organizations, stores, local artists and authors, wildlife organizations, church pastors, and community members help to enhance the Kindergarten program.

In all these activities, important social interaction takes place in which children learn to cooperate, make decisions, solve problems, communicate in acceptable ways, and build Christian character.  Students are encouraged to apply the “Fruits of the Spirit” that have been discussed during the year in their decision making process and begin to develop a personal responsibility in how they treat themselves, others, and their environment.

A KINDERGARTEN DAY

Monday Through Friday

8:15    School doors are open
8:20    Teacher greets and invites students into the classroom
           Students work on morning projects
           Morning projects include pre-reading skills, pre-writing skills, writing workshop, and math
8:30    Variety of Activities during the week:
          Worship Assembly
          P.E.
          Special Assembles
          Math
          Word Study Block
          Free Choice
          Juice Break
          Computer Lab
11:00  Lunch
11:45  Recess
12:20 Sharing Time
          Bible
12:45 Rest Time
          Library (Fridays)
1:25   Recess (Mon-Turs)
1:50   Science/Social Studies/Art Block (Mon-Thurs)
2:50   Dismissal (Mon-Thurs)
(Dismissal Fridays at 1:50)

3:05  An after School Program is available for students if parents were unable to pick them up between 2:50 and 3:05
(1:50 and 2:05 on Fridays).
     
CLASSROOM CURRICULUM

BIBLE
Christ centered curriculum from SDA Bible/Worship
Life Series.  Themes include lessons about the Trinity, prayer, creation, Christian charater building, plan of salvation, birth and life of Jesus, and sharing God's love with others.     


PHONICS AND WORD STUDY
Alphabet awareness; letter names
Letter recognition and formation; manuscript writing
Rhyme awareness; blend and manipulate sounds
Compound words; manipulate parts of words
Syllable awareness; prepare the focus on smaller units of word
Book/Literature concepts
Word awareness; grasp concepts of voice to print match
Sentence awareness; directionality of print, punctuation
Phonemic awareness; beginning, middle, and ending sounds
Alliteration; involves the ability to hear and generate words
that begin with the same sound
Vowel sounds and patterns
High frequency words
Word families
Decoding strategies for reading
Writing workshop
Take-Home activities
Library skills




MATH
Daily calendar math
Patterning
Graphing
Sorting
Shapes
1 though 10 concrete concepts
Counting by ones, twos, fives, and tens
Numeral recognition and formation 1-100
Addition
Subtraction
Simple Multiplication/Sorting into groups
Money
Time
Weights and Measurements

SCIENCE/SOCIAL STUDIES/ART
Physical:  Simple measurement, observation, light/colors
Life:  Animals, birds, worms, insects, spiders, plants
Earth:  air, land, water, ecology, seasons
Health: Home/school safety, nutrition, our bodies
History:  Yourself/People in past and present .Time, Families, Holidays
Civics:  Appreciate and respect diversity, Christian citizenship, Develop responsibility through good decision making.
Geography:  Know where you live.  Know what it is like where you live
Community:  Roll of community helpers, transportation and communication
Art:  Explore colors and a variety of media to create art work

PHYSICAL EDUCATION
Engage in large motor skills, stretching, and balancing.
TECHNOLOGY

Learn proper care of computers, computer terms, and to
express ideas with drawing and word processing software.



INSTRUCTIONAL GOALS


SPIRITUAL--The students will:

Accept the Bible as God’s Word to them.
Worship God with joy and reverence.
Know Jesus as a personal friend.
Recognize their value as children of God.
Develop Christ-like characters.
Have a knowledge/understanding of Seventh-day Adventist
beliefs and life-style.

SOCIAL/EMOTIONAL--The students will:
 
Accept moments of success, disappointment, and failure.
Have realistic expectations of themselves.
Participate in a variety of activities.
Perform various classroom responsibilities.
Respond to the teacher and peers in an appropriate manner.
Develop self-control, fair play, respect for others, and willingness to share.
Demonstrate a willingness to try new experiences.
Develop self-confidence and self-reliance.
Use communication skills for effective interaction.
Show respect for property.
Show respect for school rules.
Appreciate the value of friendship.


PHYSICAL--The students will:

Participate in both indoor and outdoor physical activities.
Increase both fine and gross motor skills:
Coordinates the movements of his/her whole body.
Develop skills such as throwing, catching, and kicking a ball.
Use eye-hand coordination to perform tasks such as cutting, pasting, and tearing.
Demonstrates the fine motor skills of drawing, writing, and painting.
Manipulate puzzles, games, clay, snaps, buttons, and shoelaces.
Develop rhythmic skills.

COGNITIVE--The students will:

Attend to and complete tasks.
Develop problem-solving skills.
Exhibit appropriate communication skills:
Respond appropriately to questions.
Maintain the subject line in a conversation.
Use complete sentences.
Share experiences in the learning group.
Show an active interest in their environment and an eagerness to learn.
Apply reasoning from cause to effect in their behavior.

READING DEVELOPMENT--The students will:

Show an interest in words and symbols.
Be able to name or recount sounds heard.
Use rhyming skills.
Demonstrate the ability to listen to a story and supply a reasonable ending.




THE FIRST DAYS OF SCHOOL

Tualatin Valley Junior Academy’s Kindergarten program is set up to help make the young student’s transition into their school environment a pleasant one.  The first two days of Kindergarten are separated into three small groups in which parent(s) and kindergartner spend one 2 1/2 hour session
together with the Kindergarten teacher.  Together we explore the school, learn school rules and procedures, work on projects, find places for personal belongings, finalize important information, and get acquainted with other Kindergarten families. 

The first full day for Kindergartners is usually the third day of the regular school calendar.  The young students come to school that first full day less apprehensive and ready to enjoy their Kindergarten experience after having attended one of the small group sessions with their parent’s much needed
presence and support.

Your family will be receiving information during the summer on these parent/kindergartner sessions.  You can then make an appointment by calling the school office and choosing either Session #1 from 9:00a.m. to 11:30a.m. or Session #2 from 12:30p.m. to 3:00p.m.




KINDERGARTEN ENROLLMENT PROCEDURES

It is the policy of Tualatin Valley Junior Academy to admit students of any race, ethnic background, gender, or religious beliefs who are willing to support the principles and regulations of the school.

Tualatin Valley Junior Academy uses development evaluations as one of the tools to help the school and families in accessing a child’s developmental readiness for school success.  These developmental evaluations help in recognizing areas in which a child might have developmental delays
that may make their school experience difficult.  In many cases, a child experiencing school stress will develop a negative attitude toward school and have poor self-esteem.  Information complied may indicate that it is in the child’s best interest to be allowed another year for further development and
enriching experiences before entering Kindergarten.  Tualatin Valley Junior Academy wants every child’s school experience to be a thriving one.

Kindergarten evaluations for children who will be 5 years old by September lst are held the first week of May.  Appointments can be made during our Open House in March and afterward by contacting the school office.   The following information must be received at the school office by
the middle of April to guarantee evaluation appointments:  completed registration papers, fees paid, a copy of your child’s birth certificate and immunization record, and a letter from your child’s previous child care provider(s) or someone who has interacted with your child and can provide observational information. 

You will receive the results of your child’s evaluation by mail within a week. Acceptance letters into Tualatin Valley Junior Academy’s Kindergarten program are sent by the end of May.


__________

All Kindergartners are on a probationary period until November.  If there are concerns that a child is causing a large amount of classroom disruption or concerns that the child’s self-esteem is being damaged by over placement in the program, continuation in the Kindergarten program will be
reevaluated. 

Children develop at their own pace; a child may have wonderful intellectual skills, but be very poor in social and emotional development.  Your child’s school success is very important and it takes more than just a child’s IQ to be successful.  We look at the TOTAL child which includes:  health, abilities
for good social interactions, small and large muscle development, emotional stability (are they able to practice self-control and mange success or failure appropriately), and cognitive maturity (are they able to listen purposefully and without interruption).


CHILDHOOD IS A JOURNEY,
NOT A RACE.